What is our membership fee for?

I don't know the answer to your question, Ian. I suspect a large portion is accounted for by HO and, as with any big organisation, there are probably savings to be made there. A lot of it may go in paying for the expertise that ensures this forum runs so smoothly! 

The real mystery to me, though, is why so many folk who are apparently unhappy with things and don't use club sites still stump up the fee each year. After all, no-one is forced to join and as you state on another thread, people could easily vote with their wallets and simply walk away. 

Whereas I am critical of the present club structure I am still a member, basically for the Cl network. With more commercial sites entering the market with better facilities and keener prices, the likelyhood of the CL network attracting the attention of others (NFU for instance) I can see within the next say 5 years the relevance if the CC being such that I wont see the need to join and pay the fee. Is there any chance of the dinasaur modernising or is it just keep the status quo and provide a lucrative income for the HO contingent?

Refer to thread entitled A Big thanks to CC and P&O. Maybe that will explain the purpose of belonging to CC.

With Red Pennant that is the service you get, nothing to do with your membership fee

Because I was a CC member we got a 20% discount off a new car.  That was worth around £5,000 to us.

We remain members almost exclusively for access to the CL network, and the £48 we have to pay is easily recouped via using the Great Days out vouchers and the marvellous discount at some shopping outlets, so at present we are satisfied. Someone in marketing at HQ has negotiated these deals for us, so that is worth paying for at the moment. Having said this though, some of the aspects of what the Club is doing, and decisions being made regarding loss of leases on sites, dubious planning implications, and let's call it less than positive image projection recently do give pause for thought. If someone created a network of small, basic sites at basic prices we would have a rethink, but we use UKcampsites to good effect.

Like many on here I see the main benefit as access to the excellent network of CL's. 

We also use CC insurance and CC breakdown services but only because we are already customers. 

Rightly or wrongly I am of the opinion that with most amateur run organisations, the CC is perhaps not efficient in their Head Office where I'm sure savings could be made. 

IMO for true efficiency  Have the CC run by a team of professional managers in Head Office  , Do away with the well meaning amateur committees and councils and let the professionals get on with the job of running the CC without interference. The company is too big for amateurs and volunteers sticking their noses into matters they know little of. 

Make the CC efficient and well run - This can only be done by professionals who know what they are doing. 

K 

You make some valid points there, K. I think CC is trying to be all things to all people and inevitably failing. It is trying to be a club and a business - it can't be both. I've heard it said that it should split the two and run them separately. I'm not sure how they would achieve it but the professionals could then get on with running the business and leave the well intentioned amateurs to deal with club issues and events. (Not THAT event again, please.)

I pay a sub. to the National Trust and they let me into their sites free. I pay a sub. to the Royal Horticutural Society and they let me into their gardens free.  That's the difference. 

 ..Unless the national trust have other than standard entry fees

There have been a number of threads running about the cost of Club sites and the fact that they seem to struggle to offer prices as low as commercial sites, particularly out of season.

I would have thought that, being a 'member' would confer some sort of discount.....but it appears not.

So what does our membership fee actually cover?

Given that there are about 400,000 memberships the fee must bring in close to £20 million!

If we don't see a reduction in site fees compared to other, similar sites, what do we actually get?

(Yes, I know we don't have to pay a non-member fee on sites, but that's just extra to a allready high price and is just there to push non-members into joining).

I assume (hope!) that when the CC sets up a department to sell insurance, european holidays etc that they are required to cover their own costs and show a profit and not be subsidised by members' fees?

Are we paying for a bloated Head office set up, perhaps?

Write your comments here...Being a CC member is your personal choice  , no one forces membership on you & likewise you aren't pressured to renew said membership when it lapse .

The choice is but a simple & easy one , perhaps people could start their own club ! sounds OK then you could be the sole member , chairman , office staff & any other title you care to mention .

I for one , are 100% happy with the CC  & would welcome people to leave if the CC wasn't for them .

Think of all that extra availability for the contented members 

Write your comments here...+1

Refer to thread entitled A Big thanks to CC and P&O. Maybe that will explain the purpose of belonging to CC.

With Red Pennant that is the service you get, nothing to do with your membership fee

Write your comments here...

Refer to thread entitled A Big thanks to CC and P&O. Maybe that will explain the purpose of belonging to CC.

With Red Pennant that is the service you get, nothing to do with your membership

...But no membership no red pennant